Sculpture in the Parklands
2002-2010
Celebrating the rich natural and industrial heritage of the boglands through contemporary art practice.
The artists working at Sculpture in the Parklands come from a variety of places in the world. Each has a particular way of working with nature, of expressing their art. Each brings their own specific cultural experience and this plays a role in the way their art manifests itself. It can involve aspects of dance, of music, of design, of ideation, or any number of aspects that enter into evolving this new paradigm of an art that works with nature. There is an awareness of the incredible versatility and variety of nature and its forms and manifestations. Many of the ideas initiated by artists working with nature today are seized on by “professionals” in others fields - landscapers, designers, architects, horticulturists, educators, and craftspeople. This gives a sense of how relevant an art that deals with the experience of nature really is, even more so in a world where new technological innovations are increasingly pulling us away from direct experience, the tactile world, into a parallel experience indulged on, and produced by the micro-screen technology.
Sculpture in the Parklands is a living laboratory where sculptors are challenged to make earth sensitive works that integrate the industrial and natural with a sense of the history of the place. Using materials that reflect the natural and industrial history of the bog lands Sculpture in the Parklands is an exciting place to be where culture and environment are in a constant dialogue, an experiential exchange.
John Grande Curator and Environmental Art Writer
Sculpture in the Parklands began as an international sculpture symposium in 2002 when seven Irish and international artists created works of art over a three-week period.The project was the brainchild of sculptor/curator Kevin O'Dwyer who worked in collaboration with Bord na Mona and the Lough Boora Parklands Group to direct and project manage the initial sculpture symposium. Eight site specific sculptures were created during the symposium and they form the nucleus of the sculpture park. The intervention of the symposium artists added another layer of engagement for visitors to the area, by combining visual and conceptual interpretations of the geography, landscape, industrial history of peat harvesting and the people who lived and worked in Boora, County Offaly.
The success of the international sculpture symposium led to the formation of Sculpture in the Parklands, a 50 acre sculpture park. Artistic Director and curator Kevin O'Dwyer continued to invite artists to create significant site-specific works of art during the artist-in-residency programme each year until 2010. Over 25 works of art including sculpture, video, dance and music composition were commissioned during this period.
The mission of Sculpture in the Parklands was to inspire artists to create artworks in response to the unique landscape and industrial heritage of the cut away bogland and to build an awareness of the arts within the community through public participation and interaction. This website gives an overview of the work produced over the 8 year period and celebrates the artists who engaged with the landscape and the community. Sculpture in the Parklands won 4 national awards during this period including the prestigious Business to Arts Award on two occasions 2003/2009, the LAMA Award in 2007 and the Irish Landscape Design Award 2009 .
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